However, doctors and patients must also understand the risks that are associated with taking blood thinners, especially if a medication error is made. Like any type of medication, blood thinning medications may cause patients to experience side effects, but patients may also suffer serious or life-threatening injuries from blood thinning medication complications when doctors do not properly administer blood thinners.
In an effort to better prevent these types of medication errors, a panel of health care experts recently created new guidelines for medical professionals to follow when treating stroke victims and administering anticoagulants.
]]> It is estimated that about 7 percent of medication errors that are made in our nation's hospitals involve the improper use or administration of anticoagulants. These errors have the potential to cause patients to suffer disabling or fatal injuries. However, new guidelines created by a panel of health experts will hopefully help to prevent these types of errors from being made in the future.The new guidelines, which have been published in the Annals of Pharmacotherapy, suggest that medication errors involving anticoagulants may be prevented when hospitals have standardized dosing protocols that doctors can review when accessing hospitals' intranet sites, patients' medical records or by reviewing procedures that are printed and posted on every hospital floor.
Medication errors involving blood thinners may also be prevented when doctors and health care professionals have a complete understanding of patients' medical conditions, needs and their medical histories. Another simple way to reduce these errors is to make sure patients understand how their medications work and how they should be using their medications.
The panel also suggests that hospitals implement policies and procedures that focus on creating better communication habits among staff, doctors and nurses who are caring for and treating patients who are taking blood thinners.
Source: Health Canal, "New blood-thinning measures may cut medication errors," Sam Hostettler, May 21, 2013
]]>When medical malpractice results in the wrongful death of a patient, families are often left devastated by the sudden and unexpected loss of their loved one. For many families, this emotional suffering may never go away. In addition to experiencing emotional pain after losing a loved one, families may experience financial hardships, especially when a medical malpractice victim was responsible for supporting a spouse and young children.
]]> Because of these sufferings, families of medical malpractice victims have the right to pursue wrongful death claims. Although no amount of money will ever make up for what some Illinois families have to go through because of doctors' life-altering medical mistakes, any amount of compensation that is recovered may offer families some financial relief.One woman in Illinois recently filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against her deceased husband's optometrist in order to obtain financial relief after losing her husband to cancer. The woman claims that the optometrist had failed to diagnose her husband's cancer when the cancer should have been detected. As a result of the doctor's failure to diagnose cancer, the woman's husband died of cancer.
The woman's husband went through a great deal of pain and suffering because of the eye doctor's alleged mistake. But the woman claims that she has also suffered consequences, and now she wants financial relief. According to the lawsuit, the woman is requesting that she receive at least $100,000 for her losses, including the loss of support, care, affection and love from her husband.
Source: The Madison-St. Clair Record, "Optometrist accused of failing to diagnose fatal ocular melanoma," Kelly Holleran, May 8, 2013
]]>The family claims that the NHL is responsible for Boogaard's death because the NHL allowed its doctors to prescribe the player with "excessive amounts" of painkillers during the player's career. The family also blames the NHL for allowing doctors to prescribe these potent drugs even though the NHL should have known that Boogaard was vulnerable to becoming addicted to drugs due to brain damage he suffered during his professional hockey career.
]]> The family's lawsuit against the NHL underscores the important responsibility doctors in Illinois and throughout the U.S. have to make sure they are safely prescribing pain medications to patients. The lawsuit also underscores the importance of making sure doctors take necessary steps to avoid prescribing painkillers to patients who may suffer from prescription medication addictions.According to the lawsuit, Boogaard was prescribed an excessive amount of painkillers during his NHL career. During the 2008-09 season, NHL doctors prescribed Boogaard more than 1,000 pain pills. The hockey player sustained numerous injuries on the ice, and painkillers helped him to cope with his physical pain. However, the player eventually became addicted to pain pills. At one point, the professional hockey player was taking 10 pain pills a day, the lawsuit claims.
The NHL was aware that Boogaard suffered from an addiction to pain meds, and the family claims that the NHL made a promise to get Boogaard the help he needed. However, Boogaard did not get the help he needed and he suffered a fatal overdose. Boogaard's family now hopes to hold the NHL accountable for its medication errors and other mistakes that eventually led to the player's tragic death.
Source: Chicago Tribune, "Lawsuit alleges hockey enforcer died after NHL doctors gave him painkillers," May 14, 2013
]]>When doctors are negligent during surgical operations, patients do not receive the care and attention they need, which increases patients' risks of suffering temporary, disabling or fatal injuries.
A lawsuit was recently filed in Illinois against a surgeon who allegedly caused one of his patients to suffer a permanent and disfiguring injury after damaging the patient's spinal cord. According to the lawsuit, the patient suffered the spinal cord injury in surgery because her doctor was negligent when operating on the patient.
]]> When performing surgery on or near the spinal cord, doctors must be careful not to apply too much pressure to the spinal cord and surrounding nerves, arteries, bones and tissue. Too much pressure for even a short amount of time may cause permanent damage to patients. In severe incidents of medical malpractice, damage to the spinal cord during surgery may result in paralysis, paraplegia or quadriplegia.Fortunately, the patient who is suing her doctor in Illinois was not paralyzed after her doctor damaged her spinal cord during surgery, but the patient claims that her doctor's mistake has caused her to suffer a disfigurement now. The damage to the plaintiff's spinal cord has caused her to develop Horner's syndrome. This is a rare nerve disorder, and the disorder has caused the patient's eyelid to droop.
This permanent injury has caused the patient to experience emotional distress, she has incurred costly medical expenses, and she has also lost wages as a result of her permanent injury. The patient is requesting to receive at least $100,000 to help her cover the damages of her surgeon's mistake.
Source: The Madison-St. Clair Record, "Surgeon accused of damaging spinal cord in St. Clair County suit," Kelly Holleran, May 15, 2013
]]>The lawsuit claims that the patient was harmed in May 2011 when he was given an epidural steroid injection. During the procedure, the patient was mistakenly stabbed in the spine with a needle by the anesthesiologist. It has been two years since the incident and the patient claims that he still suffers from numbness in his hand and other pain that was caused by the doctor's error.
]]> Although there are risks associated with steroid epidural injections, doctors are also capable of minimizing these risks when they use extreme caution and care while administering injections.The patient claims that his anesthesiologist was negligent when administering the steroid epidural injection two years ago. The man has not recovered from his injuries and he has incurred medical expenses and other expenses as a result of the doctor's mistake. The patient is requesting to recover at least $225,000 for his injuries so that he can pay for his medical expenses and recover lost wages.
Medical malpractice can harm anyone. Chicago nursing home patients may suffer from medication errors, pregnant women and their babies may be harmed by medical mistakes during labor and birth, surgery patients may suffer fatal infections from retained sponges, and accident victims may suffer additional injuries when hospitals fail to provide crash victims with the medical treatment and care they need to survive their injuries.
If you have been harmed in any way by a doctor's negligence or other medical professional's mistake while being treated for an illness or injury, you have every right to take legal action in order to obtain the compensation you need and deserve to recover from your injuries and to pay for your injury-related expenses.
Source: The Madison-St. Clair Record, "Belleville anesthesiologist acccused of malpractice," Andrea Dearden, May 8, 2013
]]>Medical professionals and hospitals in Illinois have a duty to provide their patients, including pregnant mothers and unborn babies, with quality medical care. When doctors breach this duty, they put mothers and their unborn babies at risk of suffering injuries. Although doctors and hospitals are responsible for making sure they do not breach their duties when caring for patients, mothers can also take action to make sure their doctors do not deviate from their duties when women are ready to give birth.
]]> According to a study that was released this week by Childbirth Connection, pregnant women don't always understand that some of the decisions their doctors make when monitoring pregnancies and delivering babies may actually be harmful to mothers and their babies. When women are better informed about the risks of certain procedures, they can be more involved in the decision-making process and possibly prevent their doctors from making decisions that could cause unnecessary harm to pregnant women and their babies.For the study, researchers surveyed about 2,400 women who had recently given birth. The survey revealed that more than 40 percent of the women had given birth after being induced. Although there are certainly situations in which it is necessary to induce labor, inducing labor when it is not necessary may lead to medication errors or other injuries to babies and their mothers.
The survey also revealed that most women who had to have an episiotomy performed were rarely asked about whether they agreed to have the procedure performed or not. And many women who participated in the survey reported that they refrained from asking questions during labor and birth because they did not want to bother their medical care providers.
Pregnant women need to understand that they have every right to ask their doctors questions. Mothers deserve to know more about the consequences of undergoing certain procedures or using certain medications during labor, and they deserve to have a say in how doctors proceed with their treatment when they are worried about their health or the health of their babies.
Source: ConsumerReports.org, "Pregnant? Watch out for unnecessary c-sections and other questionable medical procedures," Joel Keehn, May 8, 2013
]]>The patient is currently living in a nursing home because he suffered paralysis injuries from the incident. Over the years, the man has regained the use of his hands and arms. However, the man is still not able to use his legs. After suffering his injuries, the man filed a lawsuit against the parent company of the hospital he was treated and injured at. The man's case went to trial over a month ago, and last week, the man learned that he will finally recover compensation for his severe and disabling injuries.
]]> According to the patient's lawsuit, the patient-care assistant had used excessive force when restraining the patient. As a result, the patient's cervical spine was severely injured. Since the man had been sedated, hospital workers did not notice that the man was injured until his sedation had worn off. Surgery was performed to repair the man's broken neck, but the man is still suffering from his injuries today.Last week, a jury awarded the man $2.8 million for his injuries. The patient said that he plans on using part of the award to make his home handicapped-accessible. The man has been living in a nursing home to accommodate his injuries. He now plans to move back home.
When hospitals, doctors and other medical professionals are responsible for causing patients to suffer permanent injuries, patients need to be compensated. Compensation for injuries may give patients the resources they need to minimize the negative impacts disabling injuries may have on their lives.
Source: The Columbus Dispatch, "Man wins $2.8M over broken neck at hospital," John Futty, May 4, 2013
]]>According to the study, which was funded by the National Institute for Nursing Research and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, infants who are born with very low birth weights (VLBW) do not always receive the top-notch care that they need to survive after birth.
Poor care, which may be the result of nursing negligence, hospital negligence, or inadequate staffing errors, puts infants with low birth weights at a higher risk of developing hospital-acquired infections. And because these high-risk patients may suffer from a variety of medical complications after birth, an infection has the ability to cause premature and VLBW infants to suffer fatal or permanent injuries.
]]> For the study, researchers analyzed data gathered on VLBW infants from nearly 70 neonatal intensive care units that had treated the high-risk infants between 2008 and 2009. Overall, data from more than 19,000 high-risk infants had been examined by researchers. The study revealed that nearly 14 percent of the infants had developed hospital-acquired infections during 2009. When high-risk babies develop infections their risk of dying doubles.The study also revealed that one-third of the infants had not been monitored as thoroughly as they should have been due to inadequate staffing. Inadequate staffing may prevent nurses from being able to properly sanitize medical equipment that is used to treat high-risk infants. Inadequate staffing may also cause nurses to make serious errors while trying to treat too many patients during their shifts. Poor care may make these vulnerable infants even more vulnerable to suffering serious injuries from infections and other medical complications.
If you believe that nursing negligence or hospital negligence contributed to your baby's suffering after being born as a high-risk infant, you may want to contact an attorney as soon as possible to learn more about holding medical professionals accountable for their dangerous mistakes.
Source: ICT, "Nurse understaffing increases infection risk in VLBW babies," March 18, 2013
]]>The woman's doctor pleaded guilty to criminal charges last year after it was discovered that he had been buying off-brand chemotherapy medications and giving his cancer patients in the Illinois the illegal drugs since 2010. The non-approved drugs were cheaper for the doctor to buy compared to FDA-approved drugs. After administering the drugs when treating cancer patients, the doctor billed Medicare and Medicaid to receive reimbursements. Reports have not stated whether any of the doctor's cancer patients were aware that the drugs they were being treated with were illegal.
]]> The Illinois woman's complaint states that she received chemotherapy treatments after her doctor had diagnosed her with leukemia. The woman later learned that she did not have leukemia. She also learned that she had been given illegal chemotherapy treatments.The woman is suing her doctor for failing to correctly interpret the results of her medical tests, which suggested that the woman did not have leukemia. The woman is also suing her doctor for treating her with medications that were illegal and unnecessary. She is seeking at least $50,000 in damages for her doctor's negligence and illegal actions.
Although some medical conditions are difficult for doctors to diagnose correctly, doctors do have access to a variety of resources that help doctors rule in or rule out serious medical problems. When these resources are not used properly, or when doctors fail to correctly interpret medical test results, doctors may be held responsible for their patients' injuries from a wrong diagnosis or misdiagnosis.
Source: The Madison-St. Clair Record, “Case against doctor who pleaded guilty to dispensing off-brand chemo drugs in court,” Ann Maher, April 30, 2013
]]>One report of nursing home neglect that was made public last week involved a patient who had suffered broken bones because she was not properly monitored by a nursing home worker. The patient needed help moving around, but she was left alone in her room without being able to reach her call button.
]]> The recently publicized incident of nursing home neglect had occurred in Minnesota. The incident was investigated and investigators concluded that a nursing home worker had indeed neglected a patient who suffered injuries as a result. According to the report, the worker had left the patient in her room by herself without being able to reach her call button for when she needed assistance getting out of bed or moving around.In addition to not having access to her call button, the patient was left in her room with the lights turned off, she was left sitting in a recliner, and she was not given oxygen before being left alone. After leaving the patient in her room by herself, the worker shut the woman’s door. When the patient tried to move around, she fell and suffered broken bones from the fall. The report stated that the negligent worker has since been fired.
When nursing home neglect or abuse causes patients to suffer injuries, patients and their families may consider pursuing a lawsuit to make sure negligent health care professionals and facilities are held accountable for their wrongdoings. Victims of nursing home neglect may be able to obtain compensation for their pain and suffering, hospital expenses, and other damages resulting from their injuries.
Source: Source: StarTribune, “Resident of Ely home neglected, injured,” Jane Friedmann, May 2, 2013
]]>Last month, a lawsuit was filed against an Illinois hospital, doctor and mid-wife for allegedly causing a baby to be born with severe injuries last year. The child's injuries are permanent, the lawsuit states. According to the child's mother, her baby suffered disabling birth injuries because her doctor and mid-wife had failed to deliver her baby in a timely manner even though her baby was in fetal distress.
]]> The child's mother believes that her baby's disabling injuries could have been avoided had her doctor and mid-wife delivered her daughter as soon as they discovered that the unborn baby was in distress. However, the birth of the child was prolonged, which prevented the woman's baby from getting medical treatment before the baby's injuries worsened.The lawsuit claims that the woman's doctor and mid-wife had ignored several signs that the woman's baby was in distress and was not getting any better. Because the baby suffered a permanent birth injury, the woman's child will need special medical care for the rest of her life. The child's life-long medical expenses are expected to total millions of dollars, the lawsuit states.
The woman's child will never get to live a normal life. Her child will never be able to walk or talk. The child will also never have the ability to work and earn an income when she is an adult. The child's mother is requesting compensation for the hospital and medical professionals' mistakes so that she can make sure her child receives the medical treatment and care she needs.
Source: The Madison-St. Clair Record, "Obstetrician and midwife accused of failing to timely deliver infant," Kelly Holleran, May 2, 2013
]]>Medical professionals in Illinois may also face medical malpractice lawsuits for failing to provide stroke patients with the treatment they need to have the best recovery possible, and doctors may be responsible for patients' injuries from stroke complications when they fail to take necessary steps to prevent patients from suffering strokes.
Just recently, a lawsuit was filed against a U.S. hospital for failing to provide quality care when treating one of its stroke patients. The patient had suffered a previous stroke, and while experiencing complications, he suffered additional injuries because hospital staff failed to properly monitor the patient.
]]> According to the lawsuit, which was filed by the patient's family, the patient was taken to a hospital in Idaho in April 2011 to receive treatment for concerning symptoms. The patient's daughter said that she had noticed that her father was becoming weak and was suffering from cognitive problems. The daughter was aware that her father had previously suffered a stroke, so she took her father to the hospital to have his symptoms examined.While the man was being treated at the hospital, he fell and hit his head while he was left alone. The man was then treated for brain hemorrhages for several weeks at the hospital. The patient died about one year after falling at the hospital. His family now claims that the hospital is responsible for the man's death.
The family claims that had the hospital prevented the man from falling and suffering additional medical problems, the man's health would not have deteriorated so quickly from his stroke complications and fall injuries. The family is hoping to recover $2.5 million for their loved one's injuries and wrongful death.
Source: Associated Press, "Family of deceased Whitefish man sues Idaho hospital," May 2, 2013
]]>However, patients may also suffer injuries from medication errors even when nurses and doctors provide their patients with quality care. This is because pharmacists and pharmacies also have a responsibility to prevent medication errors from occurring. Pharmacists must make sure they give patients the correct medications they have been ordered to take, and compounding pharmacies must make sure they make unique medication orders in safe and sanitary conditions.
Unfortunately, drugs are not always manufactured in sanitary environments. Just last week it was reported that a compounding pharmacy is recalling 91 batches of its medications that have been distributed to medical facilities because the medications may be tainted. The recalled medications may expose patients to harmful bacteria, which could result in serious health problems or fatal injuries. So far, no known injuries have been reported as a result of the pharmacy's errors.
]]> Many of our readers in Illinois may remember that just a few months ago, dozens of people were killed and several hundred patients were harmed when a compounding pharmacy in Massachusetts had manufactured and distributed tainted steroid injections to more than 70 medical facilities in the country. It was discovered that the pharmacy had violated industry regulations and manufactured the drugs in an unsanitary environment.The pharmacy that announced the recall of its medications reported that the recall was issued after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration discovered that the pharmacy's operations were not adequate. A spokesperson for the pharmacy said that the pharmacy is working on reviewing and improving its procedures.
Although the pharmacy may be responsible for any injuries suffered by patients prior to the recall, hospitals and doctors may also be responsible for causing patients to suffer harm if they fail to remove the recalled products from their medical supplies. It is important that medical facilities and hospitals always remain aware of recalled medical products in order to avoid patient injuries.
Source: Insurance Journal, "Florida compounding pharmacy's drug recall involves 91 batches," April 24, 2013
]]>One family is currently pursuing a medical malpractice lawsuit against a doctor who they claim was responsible for their loved one's wrongful death. The family's lawsuit states that the doctor had failed to properly diagnose their loved one's heart problem, and as a result, the patient did not receive the treatment he had needed. The patient died because his medical condition went undiagnosed and untreated, the family says.
]]> According to the family's lawsuit, their loved one sought medical treatment at an emergency room in Minnesota in 2006. The patient's vital signs were checked by a doctor. After checking the patient's vitals, though, the patient's doctor should have also ordered an electrocardiogram, a cardiologist recently testified. Instead, further examinations were not performed, and the patient collapsed and died while he was at the hospital. The patient was only 45 years old.The patient's relatives are suing the man's doctor for contributing to his wrongful death. The lawsuit states that had appropriate tests and examinations been performed in the ER, the doctor would have been able to properly treat the patient for his condition. An autopsy had later revealed that the man died of coronary artery disease and an irregular heartbeat. The doctor claims that the patient never told him about experiencing chest pain so the doctor did not think that heart problems had contributed to the man's symptoms.
Source: Associated Press, "New Ulm hospital target of wrongful death trial underway in Brown County," April 24, 2013
]]>Although there are many babies who are born with cerebral palsy due to these unavoidable factors, some babies suffer from cerebral palsy due to birth injuries that are avoidable. When a baby is born with cerebral palsy, Chicago parents may question whether medical malpractice contributed to their child's injuries.
]]> When medical malpractice leads to a severe birth injury, parents may need to pursue a medical malpractice claim in order to make sure they recover the compensation their child will need for past and future medical expenses and other damages. Cerebral palsy is a permanent condition, but depending on how severe a child's symptoms are, children may benefit from certain treatments that help to minimize the effects of cerebral palsy.Recently, one family learned that their child, who was harmed during birth, will receive the compensation she needs to cover her lifetime medical expenses and care. The family and child were awarded $130 million by a jury in New York earlier this month.
The family had filed a medical malpractice lawsuit after their child was born with cerebral palsy in 2002. During the delivery of the family's baby, medical professionals at a hospital in New York had allegedly made a serious mistake that caused the baby to be deprived of oxygen shortly before birth. Oxygen deprivation caused the child to suffer a severe injury that resulted in cerebral palsy, the family's lawsuit argued. Had medical professionals prevented the baby from becoming deprived of oxygen, the child might not have suffered any injuries.
The family's case recently went to trial and a jury sided with the family. The family's child cannot perform basic functions on her own, including walking, talking, writing and eating.
Source: Insurance Journal, "New York Family Awarded $130M in Medical Malpractice Lawsuit," April 19, 2013
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